George’s pathetic video proves he should have been nowhere near Big Brother

George Gilbert has revealed why he was kicked out of the Big Brother house – and, in doing so, exposed that he should have been removed much earlier.

George was ejected last week, with ITV refusing to confirm the exact comment that breached Ofcom’s broadcasting standards.

Now, in an excruciating 40-minute YouTube video, the 23-year-old parish councillor claimed he had been discussing conspiracy theories and essentially asked his housemates whether there could be any justification for antisemitism if ‘some of the finest minds in human history’ had ‘antisemitic tropes in their writings’.

‘Is it a case of no smoke without fire?’ he asked.

He’s already been on Dan Wootton’s ‘anti-woke’ YouTube show to complain that the world has gone mad if we can’t question the legitimacy of antisemitism, and that freedom of speech is being eroded.

In his video, he admitted his true motivation for going on Big Brother: he wants to become a YouTuber. Getting kicked out was the perfect platform to launch a career of whingeing online. Just ask Big Brother.

In his lengthy rant, George said ‘I want to restore a bit of patriotism.’

I’m not sure how patriotic he can be after spending his brief time on Big Brother alienating vast swathes of the British public — the LGBTQ+ community, people of colour, Jews.

In the house, he claimed that homeless people should take responsibility for their own financial predicaments; that asylum seekers are living a life of luxury in the UK; that drug addicts were ‘deflecting responsibility’; and that the gay agenda is being ‘rammed down people’s throats.’

When challenged, he didn’t appear to have facts to back himself up. 

Now, in his newly-released YouTube video, he cracked jokes that would make David Brent squirm. ‘You’re only as young as the woman you feel,’ he grinned — like a hack comedian from the 60s in the body of a 23-year-old.

This was essentially a more performative version of the man we saw in the house: obsessed with questioning anyone who doesn’t fit into his narrow vision of Britain.

Alongside the incident that led to his removal, George also revealed several prior warnings he received from producers — only one of which was broadcast.

According to George, he received a verbal warning on his very first night following a conversation about Hitler, in which he described the Nazi leader as ‘evil’, but ‘misguided’.

Then, on night three, he claimed that as a redhead, he couldn’t ‘procreate’ with a Black or brown woman.

‘I’d feel like I’d be betraying my kind,’ he said, bragging that he is a ‘rare breed’.

Then came the incident that viewers actually saw. LGBTQ+ housemate Sam Smashby was left in tears because George mimicked his hand gestures and voice.

Addressing the incident in his latest video, George was seemingly unrepentant.

He actually mocked the incident again by doing the same hand gesture and then later said: ‘If you can’t take the heat, then get out of the Big Brother house’.

Gallingly, George added: ‘That was upsetting that I got a warning for that’, essentially painting himself as the victim.

There is no excuse for George not to know how offensive that would be. That alone should’ve been enough for his removal.

But it’s clear to me that he stands by each one of his statements. He implies it’s Big Brother that misunderstood him — not that his words were deeply offensive and often wildly inaccurate.

For now, at least, George doesn’t seem to have learned anything from the experience. He feels victimised and will use that victimhood to build a following he can monetise.

At the end of the day, I wonder what Big Brother thought would be gained by keeping George in the house after he made so many offensive statements. Actually, I wonder why he was even put in the house at all.

It’s a rigorous process to go on Big Brother. During auditions, applicants take part in roundtables, mock debates, and are encouraged to share their beliefs. I can’t imagine George was exactly a wallflower during the process. So without his controversial views, what did Big Brother see in him?

George even claimed in his latest YouTube video that the show ‘knew intrinsically’ what he was like and what he’d bring to the house, adding that he knew what ‘character’ they wanted him to play as ‘the political one’ who loves a debate.

So why didn’t they act sooner?

Many housemates have been ejected without warning. Emily Parr was immediately removed for use of the N-word in 2007. Back then, Big Brother was swift and decisive — it sent a clear warning to future housemates that offensive language wouldn’t be tolerated.

George, however, went beyond the pale constantly – and still wasn’t removed immediately.

Big Brother is spot-on to throw polarising characters together and see what happens, but that comes with a massive responsibility too.

Viewers deserve to see the good, the bad, and the ugly. They need to trust they’re getting a fair and accurate portrayal of what’s happening in the house to make informed decisions about who to support — and that’s the most fundamental part of the game.

We also need to know that Big Brother is taking the right course of action every single time a housemate intimidates another or makes comments too repugnant to be broadcast.

Yes, directly airing such views risks breaching Ofcom standards, but if a contestant is making statements so offensive they warrant formal warnings, the audience must be informed, even in a statement or edited clip. 

If we’re not, how are we supposed to trust Big Brother at all?

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

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